The Unexpected Hunter
by kipcap
Summary: Older Dean runs into a young hunter in a bar. Who was he? The answer is quite unexpected, and pulls Dean back into hunting like the good old days.
1. Chapter 1

Dean pulled out a stool from the bar and sat down. He was tired of hunting. _How many years has it been?_ He asked himself. He couldn't remember that far back. It felt as though he had always been hunting. His reflection peered back at him from the mirror behind the bar. Wrinkles lined his face, reflecting not only his age, but also the hard life he had lived. With a sigh, he motioned to the bar keep. "The usual?" the man asked. Dean only replied with a heavy nod.

It had been years since he had last hunted alongside his brother. Everyone expected Dean to be stronger and outlast every other hunter his age by decades, and that was the sad reality. Everyone he had ever loved was gone. He was now the wise old hunter the new generation called on when they were stuck on a case. He chuckled to himself. _I guess that means I'm the new Bobby._

For the past few years he had been living out of an old cabin about five miles from the nearest town. It was just far away that he could have some much needed peace and quiet, but he could still go out for a beer and some pie whenever he wanted. His cabin was lined with bookcases with books filled with lore. Some rooms had cabinets filled with different rare items used for calling angels and demons, and lots of salt. His basement had a "safe room" and various weapons to kill any beast. On his reading desk sat a journal he kept. When he wasn't helping with a hunt, he spent his time pouring all his years of experience into this journal. It included things such as how to kill any beast, how to successfully avoid events such as the apocalypse, and his record for pies eaten in one sitting.

Dean had just finished his third drink when a man, somewhere in his twenties, sat down next to him. He looked as though he were full of angry energy, like he thought he had the strength to take on the whole world at once and win. For some reason, the man seemed familiar to Dean. At this point, many people seemed familiar. It was probably just some alternate reality deja vu.

"What's on your mind?" The bar keep asked, pouring him a shot.

"It's just this case I'm working right now. The job's getting to me, you know?" The man grunted in a deep voice. He tossed his head back as he downed the drink. "Another."

"It's that bad, huh? Mind me asking what exactly this case is about?"

"The missing girl, Casey. You've probably read about her in the paper. I'm trying to figure out where she was taken to, but can't find any leads."

Dean's heart jumped a beat. He had read in the paper about a potential case in town. He called up one of the hunters he knew and they sent someone on the case. Either this was just a baffled cop, or this was the hunter in town.

"Yeah I read about that case. She disappeared in her own home. And I hear the alarm didn't go off and no windows were broken. Don't you think it's an inside job?"

"No, I interviewed the family. They didn't do it. There's no doubt in my mind." The man sighed as he downed another shot. Dean began to feel a little restless and jumped into the conversation.

"Well, if you ever need to bounce ideas off anyone, give me a ring." He smiled and handed the man a card with his number on it. "The names Dean."

"Sorry Dean, but I think there's more to this case than you understand." The man pushed the card on the counter back to Dean, stood up from his stool, put a fifty on the counter, and began to leave. "Thanks for the drinks keep." He mumbled as he exited the bar.

"Do you have any idea what happened or something?" The bar keep turned to Dean with interest.

"I used to be in his line of business, but I'm out of the game. Never hurts to ask an old man like me for help." Dean threw some money on the table and headed home.


	2. Chapter 2

Dean drove the impala back to his cabin. The phone was ringing, as always. "Hello?" He asked into the receiver.

"Hey it's Officer Gary, from TOWN police. Do you know an Agent Hammond? Is he one of your guys?" The officer sounded annoyed.

"Yeah he's one of mine. One of the best. "Dean responded, rolling his eyes. He remembered when he and Sam had to go through the same thing. Give the cops Bobby's number and cross their fingers the cops were dumb enough to assume the number actually belonged to an FBI supervisor. "What seems to be the problem?"

"This guy's running around town interrogating people about that missing girl Casey, saying he's with the FBI. She's been missing for two weeks now. Why are you people just now showing up?"

"We have a new lead. And that's all you need to know." And with that, he hung up. _Never liked to take those calls._ He crashed on the couch and clicked on the T.V. _I still can't believe Dr. Sexy M.D. is still playing. This second generation doctor crap is really half-assed._ But he sat there with a beer in his hand and watched the show anyway, thinking back on his past linked with the show. Sam judging him for secretly liking it. Being in the alternate reality with Gabriel. While his life had settled down, he would give anything to bring his family back. Possibly even his soul.

He drifted off into a deep old man's sleep when the phone began ringing again. Around the fifth ring, he finally woke up and pressed the talk button. "Hello?" he said in his sleepy voice.

"Hey, it's Carl. The hunter I put on the case in your town is having some issues. You up for a little action?" a man said.

"It's funny, I actually ran into him at the bar last night. Didn't seem to want my help then." Dean replied. Deep down he was looking forward to showing the kid off, maybe knock his ego down a few pegs.

"Yeah, well you know the next generation. They think they can do it all. I'll send him right over. Good luck on the case." Carl ended the call.

Dean pulled himself off the couch and headed to the computer to do some quick research on the case. Another girl went missing a few days before in a nearby town. Dean let out an irritated sigh. _I guess this one's going to turn into a road trip._

An hour and a half later, there was a knock on the front door. Dean straightened his jacket, and stood up straight and tall, trying to make himself look a little more intimidating. "Who's there?" he barked at the door.

"The guy working the case. Are you Winchester?" the man at the door asked.

Dean threw open the door and threw holy water in his face. "Hey, what was that for?" The man had jumped back, obviously angry from being soaked.

"To make sure you're not a demon. How long have you been at this, boy?"

"Only a couple of years. I've heard of demons, but I haven't seen one for myself yet." The man replied.

"Well lesson one, always make sure people are who they say they are." With that, he pressed a silver knife to the man's arm and cut into his skin a little bit.

"What the hell?!" The man yelled.

"And now I know you aren't a shape shifter. Come on in." Dean motioned for the man to go to the couch. "Tell me, what's your name? Besides Agent Hammond, of course."

"The names Ben. Ben Braeden. Now about this ca-" Dean cut him off. His blood ran cold, his heart stopped beating for what seemed like an hour. His stomach dropped farther than his body. His soul screamed. This couldn't be Ben. He left Lisa and wiped both their memories to protect them from this life.

"Is your mom…Lisa?" Dean asked shakily.

"Yeah. Did you know her?" Ben replied.

"What happened to her? Is she alive?" Dean's mind was racing. He couldn't grasp how this was possible. After all he sacrificed.

"She's the reason why I'm in this business." Ben looked straight ahead at the wall with a faraway look. "I'm here for revenge."


	3. Chapter 3

Dean was becoming frustrated. "But what _happened?_ Is she even alive?" he began pacing back and forth in front of Ben, hands clamped behind his back, his eyes locked onto the movement of his feet.

"I don't know anymore. I sure thought so at the time. I was young when it happened. We had just gotten home from the hospital where she was recovering from a car wreck. I was in my room when I heard her screaming. I ran downstairs thinking there was some sort of intruder, but everything seemed fine. Running from room to room checking for whatever it was that made her scream, I asked her what happened. She looked at me with a smile and said 'It's nothing sweetie. Go back to your room.' Her eyes turned black for a second, so I ran back to my room afraid. She was, I'm guessing, the only demon I've ever encountered. But I didn't know that at the time. Anyway, I didn't know who to call. The police sure wouldn't care.

"From then on she wasn't herself. I was scared, so I stayed away from her. One day I heard the sound of a door being knocked in, screaming from my mom, and a gunshot. I was too scared to move from my bed where I was sitting. Finally, what felt like hours after all the noises stopped, I went downstairs. There was a strange circle filled with symbols inside it on the floor in red paint. I now know that was a demon trap. Blood was everywhere, and I still don't know if it was that of a hunter or my mom's meat suit. I don't know if she killed them, or if they killed her.

"I was too afraid to go to any neighbors for help, so I lived in the same house for about three more days. Then, a man came to the door claiming he was with the FBI, asking about some people who worked for him who had stopped by a few days before. At first I was afraid of this man, thinking he was there to get me too, however I knew deep down there was something evil inside my mom that needed to be killed. So, I let him in and showed him what happened. I didn't have any family I could go to, so he decided if I was tough enough to stay in the house alone that I thought my mom was murdered in, I was tough enough to be brought into this life. He introduced me to Carl, who taught me everything I know today. It was just a few years ago that he let me start hunting with him, and now I'm working cases here and there while I focus on finding the demon who took my mom"

The two sat in silence for some time. Ben was breathing deeply, trying not to relive the moment too much. Dean was filled with guilt and regret. When Ben had a problem, even if it was just his mom moving on with another man, he called Dean. Even though the two weren't related in any way, they did share a strong father-son relationship. Ben trusted that Dean would always be there to save them. _This is all my fault._ He thought to himself. _If I didn't have Cas remove me from Ben's memory, he would have known to call me. I could have saved Lisa. I just thought I was doing what was best for them. All I wanted was for Ben to grow up to live a normal life, and now look what I've done. Look what I've done…._

The two sat in silence for a long time. Ben was staring at his hands in his lap, trying not to mentally relive the experience. Dean had stopped pacing, and sat down in a chair next to the couch. Tears began to slowly roll down Dean's cheek. "I'm so sorry Ben. I should have been there for you."

"What do you mean? This is the first time we've even met. How do you know my mom?" Ben was extremely confused by this stranger's reaction.

"I knew your mom very well. And I knew you." He stopped to take a long deep breath. "Do you believe in Angels?"

"I've heard stories of them about things that happened years ago. Don't you know one?"

"Yeah, I know one. You and your mom weren't in a wreck that night. You two were both taken by a demon. Crowley, King of Hell, wanted to keep me and my brother out of the way while he and Cas, and angel, were opening purgatory. I loved the two of you so much, I couldn't stand by and let demons hold you captive. When I found you, a demon possessed your mother and made her stab herself. That way, when I exorcised her, your mother would die of the wounds. To keep you safe, I had Cas make you think it was a car wreck and had him remove your memory of me. I didn't want any harm to come to you."

Ben began sorting out what he felt. "Was she a hunter too?" He asked.

"No. I selfishly came into your lives and introduced you to this awful world. I made you targets. All I wanted for you was to grow up and have a family. I'm so sorry." Dean rested his head in his hands, hiding his face.

"It's kind of hard to believe, but I'll try to. I mean, who wouldn't want Dean Winchester, the infamous hunter, to be their dad?"

Dean stood up and shouted "But it wasn't supposed to be this way! You weren't supposed to waste your life here. This isn't living."

"Well I'm not going to quit. Not until I know if my mom is alive or dead and I've killed that demon." Ben stood up and glared at Dean in the eye. "Don't try to interfere with this."

"There is no stopping. Even if Lisa is alive and you kill that son of a bitch. My brother and I took care of the demon who killed our mother long ago. We even stopped the damn apocalypse! Once you get in the business, your eyes are opened to all the next big things that threaten to destroy the people that live on this planet. And because you have the knowledge, you have the responsibility to do something about it. There's no getting out for you now, so I have no reason to try to stop you." Dean walked into the kitchen and pulled a couple of beers out of the fridge. "I'll get someone else on this case. Get your ass over here and let's have a beer before we go find your mom."


	4. Chapter 4

The Impala roared down the road, Highway to Hell blasting from the radio. The passenger side window was rolled down, Ben's arm sticking out of the car feeling the wind rushing past. "Where are we going?" he asked the driver.

"To an abandoned warehouse far away from town." Dean replied. "I need to talk to an old friend."

"Does he live in this warehouse?"

"No. Let's just say you're about to witness your first summoning."

After about an hour, they finally arrived. The impala emerged from a thick forest to a bare landscape. The road they were on lead to a large warehouse that was obviously old and abandoned. The few windows that still had glass in the frame were shattered or cracked, and the metal that made up the building was highly rusted. "Well this isn't creepy at all." Ben muttered. While he had been raised by hunters, he still wasn't used to the whole hunting thing.

Dean parked the Impala and popped the trunk. "Just help me carry this stuff in okay?" He handed come candles and red paint to Ben, and grabbed a clear bottle of holy water a bowl and a bag of ingredients. The two walked silently into the empty warehouse, and set to work. Dean painted a trap on the floor, and arranged the candles as he had done several times before. Then mixed the ingredients from the bag into the bowl and lit them with a lighter.

To Ben's surprise, a man appeared in the center of the circle. He was a mid-sized man with a nice suit and red tie. His face seemed cold and cruel. When he looked at the people who summoned him, his eyes flashed red, paralyzing Ben with fear. Even though Ben was a grown man, seeing a demon again brought back the same fear and emotions he went through as a child when his mom was possessed. Then, the fear subsided and was replaced by hatred and anger. All he wanted to do was somehow kill this demon. He reached for the holy water.

"Ben, stop. We can't get your revenge if you're going to be an idiot." Dean growled.

The demon suddenly smiled warmly at the two of them. "Ahh Squirrel. Long time no see? And this time you brought along a little companion. How adorable. What can I do for you this time?"

Ben shot an angry look at Dean. "You know this filthy demon?" he yelled.

"Ahh yes. Crowley here, king of Hell. And that is Dean, my good old pal from the old days. He was even a demon once himself."

Ben's heart was pounding. He trusted this stranger with his task of revenge. For all he knew, Dean could have been the demon who possessed his mother. Dean could have offered him up to the king of Hell.

"Ben, it's not what you think. I was just a demon for a little bit, but my brother turned me back. Crowley can give us information on your mom." Dean tried to calm Ben down, but it was no use. Ben started back towards the Impala at a run. He couldn't take this anymore. _Why did I think I could take on a demon?_ He asked himself. _I just met the king of Hell for Christ's sake. What am I even doing?_ He hopped in the Impala, grabbed the keys Dean left in the seat, and drove away.

"Come back here you little shit! That's my baby!" Dean yelled, running after the car for a ways. "That's not how I taught you to act! You face this head on!" Ben heard, but didn't care. _This….this stranger….he's yelling at me about how he "taught" me? I don't remember him at all. This is just all too much, I jumped in too soon._ He continued to speed off to meet Carl, to hopefully piece together what was going on and how he felt about it.

Dean walked back into the warehouse to where Crowley was somewhat patiently waiting. "Are you really going to keep me trapped old friend?" he asked with a smile. Dean broke the circle to let him out. "There's a good boy. Nice to see Ben grew up well."

Dean thrust an angel blade to Crowley's throat. "While I have you here, tell me what happened to Lisa." Dean growled.

"Well, all you had to do was ask. It wasn't my doing I hope you know. Just some loyal demon."


End file.
